Fedor Emelianenko (pictured) said earlier this week that he was closer than ever to finally signing with the UFC. After watching his performance against Fabio Maldonado at EFN 50, the UFC might want to reconsider.

Emelianenko, regarded by many as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, looked every bit of a well-past-his-prime 39-year-old against Maldonado. While most MMA fighters evolve for the better over time, Emelianenko is now strictly a headhunter.

Emelianenko actually transformed into this one-dimensional fighter years ago, but it’s becoming more apparent that the game passed him by long ago.

Emelianenko came out fast with some heavy haymakers, though Maldonado did a great job of avoiding damage. Maldonado returned fire and dropped Emelianenko moments later. “The Last Emperor” was a battered mess heading back to his corner after the opening round.

They were engaged in a back-and-forth battle the next two periods, with each heavyweight landing their fair share of shots. When the dust settled on their scrap, Emelianenko walked away with a controversial majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Oh, did I forget to mention the fight took place in Emelianenko’s home country of Russia?

For what it’s worth, Emelianenko has now rattled off five straight wins.